Volodymyr Zelenskyy was first a comedian, then a president, and now, due to recent events, one of the most recognizable figures in the world. He has been the figurehead for Ukraine since Russia crossed the border and started the war in 2022. Things have grown complicated of late, but while Zelenskyy remains in the thick of a war, with an entire country on his shoulders, he has a lot of support — not only from his staff but also from his wife, Olena Zelenska. The First Lady of Ukraine has not been seen as much as her husband, but despite the war, she has sought to try and give her countrymen and women some semblance of normality.
Recently, Olena made a statement about the many children who were abducted from Ukraine and taken to Russia. Sadly, the update is far from positive. Olena Zelenska and Volodymyr Zelenskyy know each other inside out. Together, they have faced extraordinary times, and the story of how they came to the Ukrainian presidency. Yet when her husband announced that he was running for president, Olena, it’s said, was far from happy. Olena Zelenska—whose maiden name is Kiyashko—was born on February 5, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine, about 260 miles south of Kyiv. Zelenska and Zelenskyy grew up in the same city and were born just a week apart.
“I don’t remember the moment when Vladimir and I first met eyes. Everyone knew him at school. His company was always bright. If it was loud somewhere, then Zelenskyy was there,” Olena recalled. Olena and Volodymyr met at university and soon after started dating. Volodymyr was a law student but also aspired to be a comedian. When they first met, it wasn’t quite love at first sight, at least not from Volodymyr’s point of view. Speaking with Lifestyle, the president said he took pride in finding it easy to approach girls. However, things were quite the opposite with Olena. She didn’t let him in at first, which led to him continuing to try and impress her.
Olena Zelenska and Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian president clarified that she wasn’t particularly interested in a relationship with him at the time because she was seeing someone else. But as time went on, he developed a strong romantic attachment to her. Olena claims that the foundation of their relationship was also established by their common interests.
“He tried to take care of me right away, which I didn’t really want at the moment,” she remarked. However, our discussions persuaded me otherwise. We could discuss anything, we had similar musical tastes, and we looked in the same direction. That is really crucial in a relationship.
After dating for eight years, Olena Zelenska and Volodymyr Zelenskyy married on September 6, 2003, and had their first child, Aleksandra, a year later. They had no idea that they would become the president and first lady of Ukraine, but after getting to know one another, they discovered that they got along well. Since Olena was a writer and Volodymyr was a budding comedian, she began writing for her husband, and in the 2010s, Zelenskyy’s career took off thanks to the Ukrainian comedy series Servant of the People.
The comedy show starred Zelenskyy as the friendly high school teacher Vasiliy Petrovich Goloborodko. In the show, he became the president after being increasingly tired of what he said were corrupt politicians.
Ironically enough, the show ended in 2019 because its star, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, became the actual president of Ukraine. Suffice to say that his was a rather unconventional road to becoming president.
Zelenskyy made his plan for Ukraine clear, and Olena Zelenska also had issues she wanted to address. It took about half a year before she and her team decided which task was the priority. Finally, they settled on children’s health and reforms in school nutrition.
Zelenska wanted Ukrainian schoolchildren to be educated about eating healthy, and for school food to become better and more nutritious. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health was to present a new nutrition program in schools. When she went overseas with her husband, she visited several medical centers working with the same issues.
“In Japan, for example, there is a nutritionist in every school that pays special attention to the nutrition of children with allergies, and the kitchens in schools are completely separated and sterile, like an operations room. I sourced numerous ideas and became convinced that making positive changes is real, you just have to sincerely crave something and work hard,” Olena explained.
“It’s not a normal relationship”
She is now well-known throughout the world for a very different cause. Olena and her children, Aleksandra and Kiril, were said to have stayed in an obscure location in Ukraine when the conflict broke out in 2022. The first lady made the same decision as her husband and chose to remain resolute.
At the moment, Olena posted on Instagram, “I will not be in a panic or cry.” “I’ll remain composed and self-assured. My kids are observing me. I’ll be beside them. Next to my husband, too. And with you.”
Neither Olena nor Volodymyr Zelenskyy could have predicted the current state of Ukraine. The conflict started in February 2022.
Olena revealed in an interview with CNN that the conflict had a significant impact on their relationship. Due to safety concerns, they were not allowed to spend a lot of time together.
Zelenska added, “But at least I can feel him next to me physically.” “This isn’t typical. When children must speak to their father over the phone and are unable to visit him in person, the relationship is not normal. So, like all Ukrainians, our relationship is on hold.
“We must save our energy and build up our strength,” she continued.
On “the very first day” of the conflict, Volodymyr and Olena Zelenska bid each other farewell.
Olena talked more about her separation from her spouse in an interview with Good Morning America.
We say goodbye to each other the very first day. And over the next two months, we only had a chance to speak via the phone. I’m really proud of the fact that the world has uncovered the true identity of my husband,” she explained.
Being separated is always challenging for a couple, and in Zelenskyy and Olena’s case, it wasn’t a matter of months. The war is still ongoing, but despite the fact that they have been apart for a long time, their marriage is stronger than ever, according to the first lady. Speaking to Daily Mail, Olena said that they never let each other down.
“We’re never tired of each other, we never bore each other. And it makes the family stronger, too. It’s not a normal life for any person to live in a country at war. It’s a constant psychological burden and pressure. I hope when this pressure is relieved, with our victory, we will be able to stay sane and we’ll be fine. However, now I think that we are as close as ever emotionally,” Zelenska said.
“And we understand each other very well,” she continued. In actuality, being able to appreciate your closest loved ones is crucial. Love is undoubtedly insufficient. It would have been really difficult to stay with my spouse, despite our intense love, if I hadn’t trusted his honesty, so I’m glad I can respect him:
Only 1,227 kidnapped children have been repatriated from Russia, according to Olena Zelenska.
Olena continues to carry out her responsibilities as first lady despite the ongoing war. For instance, she has been a strong advocate for encouraging more women to launch enterprises in Ukraine, but it is impossible to ignore the situation as it stands.
We are not fighting for kilometers. We are fighting for our people in the occupied territories. These kilometers are their homes, their jobs, their schools, their familiar streets. These people have the right to live in their country without fear. We cannot leave them in danger.” Many civilians have been killed since Russia entered Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian government, more than 19,000 children have been abducted and taken to Russia. Sadly, Olena Zelenska recently shared that only 1,227 children have been returned – and that Russia is obstructing the process of returning the children via several methods. “Unfortunately, this is not a mechanism that works consistently. That is why the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was created – to ensure that such